Theives have Hearts too
by Vampirehelsing
Summary: BxR By Han Chan NOT VAMP When a theif Bakura ran into the prince he never expected to fall in love, but how can a prince and a bandit be together?
1. Chapter 1

**Thieves have hearts too**

**Chapter 1- Introduction**

"So this is Domino? For a capital city it doesn't look too impressive," the cloaked rider said as he gazed out over the silent city towards the palace that was back dropped by twinkling stars.

His companion on the horse next to him laughed. "That's because nothing ever impresses you, Bakura."

The first rider pulled back his hood to reveal a wide smirk and a mane of messy white hair. "You're right Marik, I am hard to please," Bakura said as he turned towards his friend.

Marik also pulled back his hood to reveal his mischievous lilac eyes. "You're also grumpy, uptight, conceited, inconsiderate-"

"Marik, that wasn't a cue to name all my flaws," Bakura growled as he glared at him.

"I wasn't going to name _all _your flaws – that would've taken hours to do," Marik replied, grinning cheerfully.

Bakura growled and punched Marik's arm. "Asshole," he muttered under his breath.

Marik glared back as he rubbed his abused arm. "I'm adding 'overly sensitive' to the top of your list of flaws."

Bakura just rolled his eyes and went back to looking at the city. "This place doesn't look much different from any of the other cities we've been to. The only reason it's special is because King Yami lives in that big old castle."

Marik looked over at him curiously. "Then why did you decide to come here? Bandits don't usually go to the places where there are more soldiers hanging about. There must have been something that brought you here."

The corner of Bakura's mouth turned upwards – the closest thing to a smile he could manage. "Marik, have you ever had a dream that made absolutely no sense but you decided to go along with it just to see what would happen?" Bakura asked quietly, still staring out towards the stone castle.

"No," Marik answered slowly, wondering where this was going.

"I had a dream that told me to come here, so I did." Bakura closed his eyes and sighed, his head coming down to rest on his chest.

Marik was starting to worry. Bakura was never normally this quiet and distanced – he was always either being cocky or sarcastic – the only times he was usually quiet was when he was royally pissed and plotting how he could get revenge on the person who had offended him.

Bakura opened his eyes and turned to face Marik. "That's not the only reason I decided to come here though," he said, a smirk beginning to form.

"Oh? What was the other reason?" Marik asked cautiously.

Bakura's smirk grew wider. "They say that the bars round here serve the best booze in the country. I wanted to test that statement out."

Marik grinned and pointed down towards the city. "Then onwards to drinking, dancing, and degrading the common folk." With that he flicked the reins and his horse shot off down the hill towards the city.

Bakura shook his head as he watched his partner race on ahead. Marik always got excited at the prospect of having a drink. Then again, he wasn't exactly any better but…

Bakura looked back towards the castle. There was something about that place that give him a weird feeling. He'd seen the castle in his dream – that was how he'd known which city to go to. Bakura wasn't sure what this strange feeling was; he only hoped that it didn't mean that something terrible was going to happen…

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Across the city, in Domino castle, the thing that was giving Bakura that strange feeling was currently panicking. "Malik we can't go into town! You know the rules – no leaving the palace grounds after dark, except in an emergency!" a boy with soft white hair exclaimed, as his friend rummaged through his wardrobe.

Malik stopped rummaging and turned to look at his friend. "Ryou this is an emergency. You're sixteen and you've never had a drink!"

A light blush tinged Ryou's cheeks as he said (almost sulkily), "I've had wine at banquets before."

Malik waved his hand in dismissal. "That doesn't count."

"Why not?"

"Well for one it's not a real man's drink, and for another you only ever have a small sip – hardly enough to make you even slightly tipsy." Thinking the argument won, Malik went back to hunting through Ryou's closet.

Ryou wasn't ready to give in just yet though. "Malik, it's bad enough you going out, you're only a servant, whereas I'm the prince and heir to the throne. My brother would kill me if he found out."

"Yami won't kill you," Malik replied, still searching.

Ryou sighed. "He might not kill me, but he'll give me the whole 'I'm disappointed in you, I thought you would know better,' speech and make me feel totally guilty.

"You'll get over it," Malik replied, head still stuck in the closet.

"Malik! Everyone around here knows what I look like. As soon as we set foot in the tavern Yam's guards will drag us right back to the palace," Ryou said desperately, trying to convince his friend to change his mind.

"That's why you'll be wearing a disguise," Malik replied, eerily calm.

Ryou didn't like the tone of Malik's voice and when Malik turned round he liked the look on his face even less. Malik was grinning from ear to ear, but not in a friendly way, and when Ryou looked down at what Malik was holding he knew why. In one hand Malik held a dark blue headscarf and in the other a long-sleeved black dress.

"Malik, I refuse to wear a dress!" Ryou shouted, his face turning red.

"Oh come on Ryou. No-one's going to know that it's you," Malik begged. "If we meet anyone I can just say that you're my new girlfriend and no more questions will be asked. Oh come on Ryou, do it for me." Malik then proceeded to make his eyes wide and watery, his lip trembling slightly.

Ryou automatically felt guilty. He hated it when Malik did that – he was never able to say no, even though his common sense told him to just ignore his friend. "Fine, I'll come along, but do I have to wear the dress?" Ryou said, defeated.

Malik smiled mischievously. "Let me put it this way Ryou: it's either this, or that very lacy and revealing one that Lady Mai gave you for your birthday."

It took Ryou a whole two seconds to make up his mind. "Just give me the dress."

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	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you to all those who reviewed the last chapter. Hope you enjoy this one just as much._

_To those wondering why Malik referred to a king by his first name, it's because Ryou and Malik have known each other for a long time and I think it would probably get really tiring if your best friend kept referring to your brother as 'His Majesty' all the time. Malik wouldn't call Yami by his name to his face, but when he's with Ryou he does.

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**Chapter 2 – Meeting**

"Marik, leave the poor girl alone," Bakura said as Marik tried to chat up the girl sitting next to him.

Marik ignored his friend and leaned over to put his arm around the girl. The next thing he knew the girl was gone and there was a red handprint on his cheek. Bakura laughed at the dumbfounded expression on Marik's face. "I told you to back off, but did you listen?"

Marik glared at him then took a long swig of his drink. "That was just a practice. Now I'm ready to charm any girl off her feet."

"Oh really?" Bakura asked, smirking.

"Of course," Marik replied, smirking back.

"I bet you can't get the next person who walks through that door to kiss you – and I mean kiss – tongues and all," Bakura said, motioning towards the entrance.

"What happens if I win this little bet?" Marik asked, looking interested.

"If you win I'll buy the drinks for the rest of our stay here. How does that sound?"

Marik grinned widely. "Deal!" he said excitedly, shaking hands with Bakura.

Marik lifted up his glass and, just as he had drained it, the door opened and two figures walked in. The first was a boy with shoulder-length blonde hair, a tanned face and lilac eyes. The second was a pale girl with soft brown eyes, and had her hair covered by a dark blue headscarf. Marik turned to see that Bakura was wearing a wide, wicked, grin. "Go on," Bakura said gleefully, "charm him."

"You mean _her_, don't you?" Marik asked, looking uneasily at the two who had taken a seat at a table not far away from the bar and, therefore, them.

"I mean him. Remember, the deal was the first _person_ to walk through the door – not the first girl."

"I hate you," Marik said quietly as he got up and made his way over towards the lilac eyed blond.

**

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**

Their escape from the palace had gone well. No-one had recognized or challenged either Ryou or Malik. Secretly Ryou had hoped that they would've been caught, but no such luck. The whole way Malik had had a tight grip on Ryou's wrist. Ryou wasn't sure whether this had been to stop him from running off back to the palace or to stop someone running off with him!

Finally they arrived at the tavern and took a seat near the wall, out of the way. When they sat down Malik seemed to become more relaxed. That was, of course, until he saw a man with spiky blonde hair and lilac eyes make his way towards their table.

"Wow, he's hot," Malik said as he watched the man approach.

Ryou turned to look at him. "I thought you were straight," he said, surprised.

"Nope, I'm bi," Malik replied, smiling.

"But what about when you helped me dress for that…" Ryou trailed off as he saw Malik's smile turn into a smirk. "Malik!"

Their conversation was suddenly brought to an end by the stranger with blonde hair sitting down at their table next to Malik. "Hi there," Marik said casually. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything."

"Don't worry, you're not," Malik said, smiling innocently.

"My name's Marik. Want to dance?"

"I'm Malik, and I'd love to."

They both stood up and moved to where the tables had been cleared to make a dance floor and began to groove along to the music. Ryou watched them quietly, starting to feel a little insecure without his friend. Suddenly, someone sat down in the seat Malik had been occupying moments ago. "Hi there; mind if I keep you company?" a tanned man with short white hair, mahogany eyes and a double-crossed t scar over his right eye, asked as he sat down.

"No," Ryou replied quietly as he stared at his new companion.

"If Marik's dancing with your friend then he'll be busy for awhile. I'm Bakura by the way."

"Ryou," Ryou said softly as he shook Bakura's hand.

Ryou couldn't help but stare at Bakura – there was something enchanting about his eyes. Bakura also couldn't help but stare at Ryou – she had the most beautiful doe brown eyes and porcelain skin. "Isn't Ryou a boy's name?" Bakura asked curiously.

Ryou looked down and blushed. "Well…err…erm…"

Bakura noticed Ryou's blush and decided to change the subject. "So, are you and your friend a couple?"

Ryou's head snapped up at the question. "What? No!"

Bakura smirked at how adorable Ryou was with her cheeks aflame and her eyes wide.

Ryou saw Bakura's smirk and looked down again. "What I mean is, we're just friends," he said quietly.

Bakura couldn't help but feel elated at Ryou's shy statement. Even though Ryou was wearing her headscarf and cloak, Bakura could tell that she was very beautiful. Her skin looked so soft and smooth that Bakura had to restrain himself from reaching out and stroking her cheek. Her lips were a soft pink that made them totally kissable. And the great thing was that she didn't already have a boyfriend! Bakura was more than ready to change that fact though.

"Do you live round here?" Ryou asked, shyly looking up at Bakura.

Bakura shook his head. "I'm a traveller; my friend and I only stopped to rest and get a drink."

Ryou felt strangely disheartened at this. It was bizarre, he had only met Bakura a few minutes ago but he already didn't want him to leave.

Bakura saw Ryou's disappointed expression and made a stab at what was causing it. "We'll be staying here for awhile though; there's nowhere we need to be," he said, watching Ryou's face carefully.

Ryou smiled as he looked back up at Bakura. Bakura mentally congratulated himself for being a genius. "So, can I buy you a drink?" Bakura asked, smiling cheerfully.

Ryou looked down, once again embarrassed. "I don't drink," he said quietly.

Bakura blinked, trying to comprehend what he had just heard. "If you don't drink what are you doing in a bar?"

"Malik said that it was disgraceful that I was sixteen and had never been drunk once. He wanted to rectify my sinful crime," Ryou replied, the corners of his mouth turning up into a smile.

Bakura laughed. "I agree wholeheartedly with your friend." Bakura sighed. "But it seems your friend is currently occupied with other matters." He glanced over to where Marik and Malik were getting dangerously close to one-another. "It seems the task of getting you pissed falls to me."

Ryou stared at him in alarm. "That's really quite alright; there's no need…" But Bakura wasn't listening, in fact, he had already ordered the drinks by the time Ryou had finished his sentence…

**

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**

4 glasses of alcohol later…

Ryou was officially drunk. Bakura had been drinking as well but (since he was use to it) was reasonably sober. Malik was still with Marik, blissfully unaware of what was happening.

Ryou leaned forward, tilted his head, and looked up at Bakura. "You have pretty eyes," Ryou said drunkenly.

Bakura grinned. "You have pretty eyes too, Ryou," he returned, moving his face closer to Ryou's.

Ryou giggled. "Bakura, are you flirting with me?"

"I am," Bakura replied, his grin widening. Ryou giggled again. "Ryou, would you take off your headscarf? I'd like to see what you look like without it."

Ryou nodded and clumsily undid the scarf. Beautiful white locks tumbled down her back, gently framing her face. Bakura stared, totally transfixed by the angel in front of him.

Ryou giggled, then leaned forward and pressed his lips against Bakura's. Bakura was stunned and could only blink in shock. Ryou giggled at the look on Bakura's face. Ryou thought Bakura looked cute when he made that face.

Finally Bakura snapped out of his trance and smirked at Ryou. "You kiss good," he said seductively.

Ryou smiled innocently. "Want another one?"

Bakura nodded eagerly. Ryou stood up and moved to sit sideways on Bakura's lap. He put his arms around Bakura's neck and Bakura put his arms around Ryou's waist. Ryou leaned down and he and Bakura began to kiss passionately.

As time moved on, so did Bakura. He ran his tongue over Ryou's bottom lip, smirking as Ryou moaned softly and complied with his wish. As Bakura's tongue explored Ryou's delicious mouth thoughts like 'she's a great kisser' and 'I bet I got my kiss before Marik did' ran through his mind. He really should've had a competition with Marik, that way Marik would be paying for the drinks. Ah well, kissing Ryou rocked with or without free booze.

Unfortunately Ryou was forced to break away for air, finally ending the kiss. When they could both breathe again Ryou asked, "Bakura, do you want to know a secret?" Bakura nodded and Ryou giggled as he moved his lips close to Bakura's ear. "The secret is: I'm not a girl."

Bakura blinked. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that I'm a boy," Ryou replied, still giggling.

Bakura's eyes went wide as he stared at Ryou. "But… Why are you in a dress?" he finally asked.

"Because Malik said it was the only way I could sneak out of the palace," Ryou replied, smiling cheerfully.

"The palace? Why were you in the palace?" Bakura asked, trying hard to work out whether Ryou was just drunk or whether he was telling the truth.

Ryou giggled. "I'm the prince, silly, where else would I be?"

As Bakura tried to process this information, Ryou leaned forward and captured Bakura's lips in a drunken kiss.

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	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you again to all those who reviewed! This chapter: what happens when Malik discovers what happened to Ryou?

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**Chapter 3 – Getting back**

"Crap!" Malik exclaimed as he pulled his tongue out of Marik's mouth. He had only just remembered that he had left Ryou on his own.

Marik whined in protest at the loss of contact. "Malik, don't stop," he whined pathetically.

"Sorry Marik but I have to find my friend," Malik said as he stood up and looked about for Ryou.

Malik grabbed Marik's wrist and dragged him over to where he had last seen Ryou – at their table. As soon as they got close to the table by the wall they both stopped in their tracks. "Ryou!" Malik cried as he saw Ryou sitting on a stranger's lap, kissing him.

Ryou turned round to see who was calling him. "Hi Malik," he said happily, one arm around Bakura's neck, the other waving to his friend.

Malik's jaw dropped as he looked from Ryou to the empty glasses on the table, then back to Ryou. "Ryou, are you drunk?" Malik asked incredulously.

"Yep!" Ryou replied, a wide grin on his face.

Marik smirked as he looked at Bakura, who was still in shock. "What's wrong Bakura? Don't tell me that little kiss was too much for you," Marik mocked.

Malik turned to look at Marik. "You know him?" he asked.

Marik nodded. "He's my travelling companion – Bakura."

Finally, Bakura came out of his daze and turned to Malik. "You're Ryou's friend, right?" A nod of confirmation. "Well, is what he's been saying true?"

Malik looked uneasily at Ryou, who had laid his head on Bakura's shoulder and was gazing up adoringly at him. "What has he been saying?" he asked cautiously.

"That he's the prince," Bakura replied, his voice calm but his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Malik bit his lip as he looked from Bakura to Ryou. He wasn't sure whether he should tell Bakura the truth or not. Ryou seemed to trust him. Then again, Ryou was drunk. Hold on a minute – how did Ryou get drunk in the first place when he had no money? Malik's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why'd you get Ryou drunk? Was it because you thought it would be easier to take advantage of him that way?"

Bakura growled and glared furiously at Malik. "I could be asking you the same thing. The only reason I bought him a drink was because he told me that _you _wanted him to 'rectify his sinful crime of being sixteen and never once been drunk', and since you were occupied and had left your friend to fend for himself, I decided to keep him company and carry out _your _wish to show him a good time. I didn't have any ulterior motives, but did you?"

Malik looked indignantly at Bakura. "What? I'm his – I would never do something like that."

"Some friend – leaving him on his own when he obviously can't defend himself and doesn't know anyone," Bakura scoffed, unconsciously tightening his hold around Ryou's waist.

Malik blushed and looked down, feeling guilty for accusing Bakura when he himself had been thoughtless of Ryou's feelings. Marik looked between the two (making sure that the fight was over and wouldn't get his head bitten off) before breaking the ice by saying, "Anyone want a drink?"

"No thanks. I really should be getting Ryou back home," Malik said, still feeling slightly uncomfortable.

"Which leads me back to my first question," Bakura said, still slightly glaring at Malik. "Is Ryou the prince or not?"

Malik nodded. "He is; and I'm his personal servant."

Bakura nodded then looked down at Ryou who had fallen asleep on his shoulder. 'He looks so sweet and peaceful when he's asleep,' Bakura thought to himself. "I guess you'll need some help getting Ryou back to the palace," Bakura stated, still looking down at the angel.

"We'd be glad to escort you there," Marik said enthusiastically; glad that he'd be able to spend a little more time with Malik.

"You don't need to do that," Malik said, hoping to change their minds.

"Yes we do," Marik replied. "It's dark and if you're carrying the kid then you're left vulnerable if you're attacked. And besides," Marik continued with a sly grin, "I don't think Bakura's ready to leave the little prince just yet."

Bakura glared and gave him the finger. Marik just laughed, though, and Malik tried to hide a smile. Bakura shifted Ryou's weight (so he could carry him) and stood up. Ryou whined as his comfy pillow moved, and curled in towards Bakura's chest. Bakura smirked down at him as he followed the others out of the bar.

The journey to the palace went smoothly. Nobody recognized or tried to disturb them. Malik led the way, choosing to go down deserted and dimly lit streets to avoid being seen.

Finally they reached the tall outer walls of the palace. Keeping to the shadows, they made their way towards a thick clump of bushes that clung to the thick walls. Malik stopped and turned to Bakura. "I can take it from here," he said, motioning for Bakura to hand Ryou over.

"How are you going to get in?" Bakura asked, looking round for some kind of entrance.

"That's a secret," Malik replied, holding out his arms to take Ryou.

Bakura looked down at the still sleeping boy in his arms. He really didn't want to let Ryou go – it felt so nice having his warm body next to his. But Bakura knew he had to let Ryou go. He sighed and handed Ryou over to Malik. Or, at least, he tried to. Ryou's hands had a tight hold on Bakura's shirt and refused to let go. Bakura tried to dislodge his hands but that only made them cling harder to the material.

Marik chuckled. "I guess that means the little prince doesn't want to let you go either."

Bakura and Malik both turned to glare at him. Since they both had their hands full Marik was safe. But, just to be sure, he took a step back anyway.

Malik sighed. "I guess that means you'll both be coming the whole way then." He handed Ryou back to Bakura, who received him with a smirk. Ryou let go of Bakura's shirt and snuggled closer to him.

Malik moved towards the bush and pulled back some of the branches to reveal an opening in the wall. He motioned for Marik and Bakura to go through first, then followed after them. They emerged from the bush into a small courtyard. As soon as Malik came through the hole he motioned for silence, then set off quickly towards Ryou's room, which was near the middle of one of the towers. Once again, their journey went smoothly.

When they reached Ryou's room Malik told them that it was now alright to speak. Marik whistled as he looked around the room. "It's not bad being royalty I see," he commented as he looked from the large four-poster bed, to the wooden writing desk, to the shelves crammed with books.

"I bet Ryou'd disagree with you about that," Malik said as he pulled back the sheets on the bed.

"Why's that?" asked Bakura, who was sitting in a comfy chair, still holding Ryou.

"Because the girls literally throw themselves at him," Malik replied, a smile on his face.

"And that's a bad thing?" Marik asked.

"It is if you're shy and innocent like Ryou," Malik replied.

Malik then told Bakura to bring Ryou over to the bed, and together they managed to get Ryou out of the black dress without waking him. This task was made more difficult when, once again, Ryou grabbed Bakura's shirt if he moved too far away. When they were finished Ryou was left in nothing but his boxers. Bakura felt his cheeks colour and his heart beat faster as he stared down at the beautiful boy.

Finally, it was time to say goodbye. Malik was going to lead the two thieves back out of the palace since they entered near the servant's quarters, ("So that's why there's a secret exit!" Marik had said. "The servants can sneak out to get drunk or meet their lovers and nobody's the wiser!"), but he and Marik had decided to say goodbye before they set off. That was why they were playing tonsil tennis in the corner while Bakura tried to persuade Ryou to let go of him.

"Wake up Ryou," Bakura whispered softly into the boy's ear. Ryou began to stir, and looked up sleepily into Bakura's eyes. Bakura smiled gently as the boy's grip lessened and he removed Ryou's hands from his shirt, gently laying the boy down. "I have to go now Ryou; go back to sleep."

"I don't want you to go," Ryou replied sleepily.

Bakura stroked Ryou's cheek with the back of his hand. "I'll be back soon," he whispered, as he leaned forward and kissed Ryou's forehead.

Ryou smiled softly and quickly drifted off to sleep. Bakura pulled the covers up over the pale boy and closed the hangings around his bed. He sighed in contempt at the smile the beautiful boy had given him. He then turned round and sighed in exasperation.

Marik heard Bakura's sigh and turned round, a wide smirk plastered on his face. "Hey, just 'cause you're paying for the drinks from now on doesn't mean you get to sigh at us like that." Bakura rolled his eyes and set off towards the door. "Or roll your eyes!"

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Please Review! 


	4. Chapter 4

_Extra long chapter here. Don't expect any more like this though – next time I'm back to my shorter chapters. Thank you to all who reviewed last chapter! Enjoy!

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**Chapter 4 – Tears and Kisses**

As sunlight spilled through the hangings of his four-poster, Ryou slowly opened his eyes. He had a pounding headache and felt like he had been in the middle of a stampede. Ryou didn't think he had the energy to get up so he laid still, his eyes slowly fluttering closed.

"Wake up sleepyhead!" a voice boomed as the hangings were drawn back.

Ryou groaned and put his hands over his ears. Malik shook his head and pulled the covers off the bed. Ryou shivered (since he was only in his boxers) and curled up into a ball. Malik rolled his eyes. "I bet if it was Bakura telling you to get up you wouldn't be putting up this much resistance."

Upon the word 'Bakura' registering in Ryou's sleep fogged mind he automatically shot up into a sitting position. Ryou quickly covered his face with his hands as the sudden movement made it feel like hot knives were being pushed into his brain.

"Here, take this," Malik said gently, holding out a glass of water and some medicine for Ryou to take.

Ryou carefully took the things offered and slowly drank the water and medicine. "I feel like death," he said quietly.

"I'm sure you do. Welcome to your first hangover!" Ryou flinched at the unbearable loudness of Malik's voice. Malik chuckled. "So tell me," Malik said, more quiet this time, "what do you remember about last night?"

Ryou massaged his temples as he tried to recall last night's events. "I remember you conning me into sneaking out, and then getting to the bar. Then you went off to dance and I met…I met Bakura," Ryou said, trailing off quietly. The rest of his memories were pretty foggy but, for some reason, his memories of Bakura were very clear.

"Do you remember anything _after_ you got drunk?" Malik asked, sitting down next to Ryou, watching his face the entire time. Ryou remained quiet. There was something in the back of his mind telling him he had forgotten something. Since that hadn't worked, Malik decided to try a different approach. "Ryou, what do you think of Bakura?"

Ryou's cheeks turned pink. "Well…he's-he's very nice and…err…um."

"Do you want to kiss him?"

Ryou's cheeks began to glow as he imagined himself kissing Bakura. The image was too real for Ryou. It was as if he could feel the touch of his lips, taste his beautiful mouth, smell his intoxicating scent…

Suddenly, something clicked. The reason the image was so real was because he had kissed Bakura before! He had done it last night at the bar! He had told Bakura he was a boy! He had told him that he was the _prince_! Bakura must hate him now.

Ryou put his head in his hands and began to cry. Malik put his arm around him and tried to sooth the sobbing boy. "He hates me! He hates me!" Ryou wailed.

"What? What gave you that idea?"

"He only liked me because he thought that I was a girl," Ryou said, still sobbing. "Now that he knows the truth he'll hate me for leading him on."

Malik looked confused. "Were you leading him on?"

"I don't know!" Ryou almost shouted.

Malik sighed. It was going to be a loooonng day.

**

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Bakura sighed longingly as he stared out the inn window towards the palace.

"Oh for goodness sake Bakura; you've only been separated for a few hours!" Marik shouted angrily at his companion. Bakura ignored him. Marik's eye twitched and he seriously contemplated throwing something at the other thief's head. Bakura sighed again. Something _HARD!_

"I wonder if he's awake yet," Bakura said dreamily. Marik bit his tongue. He'd never seen Bakura like this. Bakura in love was annoying. "Maybe I should go to the palace and find out," Bakura continued.

Marik started and jumped to his feet. "Have you lost your mind! You can't go to the palace in broad daylight!" Marik strode over to Bakura and grabbed him by the collar. "Bakura, come out of La-La land and back into the real world!"

Bakura took hold of Marik's wrist and glared up at him. "Do you have a problem with the way I've been acting?" he asked icily.

"Yes, I do," Marik replied, glaring back.

They remained in silence, still glaring at each other, for a few minutes. Finally Marik sighed in defeat and let go of Bakura's collar. "Look, I'm sorry I snapped, but could you please cheer up, just a bit? Chances are you'll see Ryou tonight. Come on, let's go get a drink." Bakura nodded grudgingly and followed Marik. As they left the room Marik said, "You do know that you're paying don't you?"

**

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By the time nightfall arrived Ryou had stopped crying. Malik had let him wallow in self-pity for awhile but by midday he'd had enough and had tried to cheer him up. It seemed to have worked – sort of.

"Are you ready yet Ryou?" Malik asked as he put on his cloak. They were going back to the bar to meet up with Bakura and Marik. Malik couldn't wait to see Marik and was anxious to leave.

"I'm not going," Ryou said sulkily from the bed.

Malik turned to look at him. "Why not?" he asked. Ryou didn't answer, just stared at the floor. Malik sighed heavily and went to sit by his friend. "Ryou, Bakura doesn't hate you. How many times do I have to tell you? If I didn't know any better I'd say that he liked you more than as just a friend."

Ryou blushed but remained looking at the floor. He knew Malik was only trying to make him feel better – he knew that wasn't true. Why should he go with Malik? To be rejected and hated? Why did Ryou even care what Bakura thought of him? He was just a commoner and it wasn't like Ryou actually _loved _him.

Since Malik had gotten no response he knew that it was a lost cause. Ryou could be so stubborn sometimes. "Fine then. Stay here and mope. We'll just have a good time without you."

Malik got no reply. Sighing, he left Ryou alone, still looking down at the floor.

**

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**

At the bar, Bakura was feeling restless. Ryou had yet to show up and he was dying to see him. Bakura's restlessness was also starting to get on Marik's nerves. Bakura wasn't the only one who was longing to see someone – he desperately wanted to see Malik, but was he bouncing on the edge of his seat? No.

"I've never known you to be so impatient," Marik growled.

Bakura ignored him and continued to peer towards the entrance.

About five minutes later Malik walked in and headed towards their table. Bakura looked to see if Ryou was with him, but he couldn't spot him. As soon as Malik was seated, Bakura demanded, "Where's Ryou?"

Marik glared at him and Malik sighed. "He didn't want to come – he was too embarrassed."

"Embarrassed?" Bakura echoed, confused.

"He thinks that he made a fool of himself and that you hate him."

Bakura went quiet. Did that mean that Ryou didn't love him? Was it the alcohol that had made Ryou kiss him? Would he ever see his angel again?

Malik watched as Bakura became silent and looked down at the floor. That sad expression reminded him of Ryou. Even though Malik didn't exactly like Bakura, that look of devastation pulled at his heart-strings, and made him say, "He doesn't hate _you_, Bakura. He hates himself because he thinks that he was too forward and that _he's_ ruined the relationship. I also think he's in denial about the feelings he has for you. He's never been in love before."

Bakura looked up and felt the flame of hope rekindled. If what Malik said was true, then Ryou really did love him but was too scared to admit it. He needed to see Ryou. Bakura stood up and made to leave.

"Where are you going?" Marik asked.

"I've got to go visit someone," Bakura replied. "And anyway, I'm not going to stick around to watch you two go at it." With that Bakura left, first heading up to his room to grab his kit, and then made his way towards the palace.

**

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**

Ryou was standing on the balcony outside his room, staring out across the city. He sighed, wishing he could be one of those people who had the freedom to do what they wanted and not be pressured by the expectations of others.

Ryou didn't like being put under pressure but, as the prince, he was almost always under pressure. He had once been told that he had the fate of the country on his shoulders. If he offended someone (even if it was by accident) then the whole country could go to war. That was why Ryou was so timid and preferred to just blend into the background.

Ryou sighed again. He wondered if Malik was having a good time with Baku- No! No, he wouldn't think about that commoner. That charming, handsome, hot- No! No, he should _not _be thinking such thoughts.

Ryou's love life was already planned out for him. He would marry Lady Mai. They would have lots of children and live happily ever after. The plan wasn't official – but it was what everyone expected to happen. Ryou didn't want it to happen. Lady Mai scared Ryou at times.

Since they were little they'd been told that they would marry. Mai was older than him and had a strange idea of what he liked. For example, the lacy, revealing dress that Malik had threatened to make him wear. Why she thought that was a good birthday present, Ryou would never know.

Ryou shook his head to rid it of all these complicated thoughts, before going back into his room, leaving the doors to the balcony open.

**

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**

Bakura had made it to the palace and gone through the secret entrance easily. He had only one thing left to do, and that was to scale the tower to Ryou's room. Bakura had made his way around the palace and had seen Ryou standing on the balcony.

As soon as Ryou went back inside, Bakura readied his grappling hook. He had chosen to do it this way to avoid being lost inside the palace. Also, because it was still quite early in the evening, there would be more people about.

Bakura easily scaled the palace wall and was up on the balcony in no time. He looked through the net curtains that were fluttering softly in the gentle breeze and saw Ryou, who had his back to him. He was sitting at a desk, staring absently into the mirror in-front of him.

Bakura's breath caught in his throat as he stared at his angel. He was even more beautiful in the soft light of the candles than in the dim light of the bar. Even then he had been the most beautiful thing Bakura had ever seen.

Silently Bakura moved into the room, making sure he was not reflected in the mirror. He suddenly froze as he heard Ryou sigh. He looked into the mirror and saw that Ryou's head was resting on the palms of his hands, his expression sad. "Why do you taunt me?" Ryou asked, still staring into the mirror.

Bakura didn't know what to say. Was Ryou talking to him? He was the only one in the room. Was he taunting him? Bakura didn't think he was. How had Ryou known he was there? He was usually undetectable when he was sneaking about.

"You're not supposed to taunt me," Ryou continued, still gazing at the mirror. "You're supposed to serve me – show me my reflection – that's what mirrors do. But you're not showing me my reflection are you?"

Bakura relaxed slightly. Ryou hadn't noticed him – he was talking to the mirror. For some reason that didn't strike Bakura as strange.

"You're showing me _his _reflection. You're trying to tempt me, trying to make me feel bad for not going with Malik. Well guess what? I already feel bad without your help." Tears began to well up in Ryou's eyes and his voice quivered slightly. "I feel so strange. These new emotions…I know they're real. I wish Bakura felt the same way. I wish he loved me too."

Suddenly a pair of arms encircled Ryou's waist, and a voice purred in his ear," I love you Ryou."

Ryou's head shot up and he looked in the mirror to see the smirking face of…"Bakura…is this a dream? Are you real?" Ryou asked in a whisper.

"Trust me, this is no illusion. I'm real and I meant what I said." Bakura paused to kiss Ryou's cheek before continuing. "Ryou, don't you know that talking to inanimate objects is the second sign of madness?"

Ryou blushed. "You…heard that?" he asked shyly.

"Don't worry," Bakura said slyly as he moved to kiss Ryou's neck. "I won't tell anyone. It'll be our little secret."

Ryou leaned back to give Bakura easier access, moaning softly when Bakura's lips hit his tender spot. Bakura smirked, using his tongue to help Ryou make more of those delightful noises.

Finally Bakura stopped and let go of Ryou so that he could move him off the stool he was sitting on, take his seat, and then replace him on his lap, sitting sideways as usual. Bakura then returned his arms to around Ryou's waist and Ryou placed his around Bakura's neck.

"I missed you, Ryou," Bakura said softly, gazing into the boy's beautiful eyes. "I spent the whole day thinking about you and how perfect you are."

Ryou blushed and looked uneasily away from him. He wanted to say the same thing but it would be a lie. He'd misjudged Bakura – he'd thought that Bakura would hate him. For once he was glad that he was wrong.

That wasn't the only thing that made him look away though. Bakura seemed so truly and completely devoted to him. He didn't think he deserved that devotion, that unwavering love. Also, it scared him slightly. All these emotions were new to Ryou, and the way he felt about Bakura was quite scary.

Bakura could sense that what he'd said was making Ryou uneasy, and tried to make the situation better. "Ryou, I don't expect you to say the same thing back. Feeling true love is new and strange to me, so I can only imagine how you feel. Don't feel the need to pledge your undying love – it's really not necessary. If you think that we're moving too fast, say so. I won't be angry – promise. Just tell me and I'll put it right." Bakura concluded his speech by dropping his head down onto Ryou's shoulder.

Tears began to form in Ryou's eyes. He loved Bakura so much…and Bakura felt the same. It was time to stop listening to his rational mind and start listening to his heart – like Bakura was. Ryou rested his head on top of Bakura's and whispered, "Love you 'Kura."

Bakura smiled softly and whispered back, "Love you Ryou."

**

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**

It was late by the time Malik arrived back at the palace. Marik had been worried about him so he had walked back with him and was currently waiting outside the walls for Bakura – since they both knew exactly where he had run off to.

Malik wondered what exactly Ryou and Bakura had been doing that had stopped Bakura returning to the bar. One idea sprang to mind but Malik quickly dismissed it. They wouldn't be doing _that_, would they?

Reaching Ryou's room, Malik quietly opened the door and stepped in. It was quiet. There didn't seem to be anyone there. Malik looked over towards the bed and saw that the hangings weren't drawn. Silently, he crept closer.

Bakura and Ryou were lying on the bed together – thankfully still dressed. Bakura was lying on his back, his arms gently resting around Ryou's waist. Ryou was using Bakura's chest as a pillow, his arms also draped over Bakura's waist. Both were wearing small, content smiles, breathing in perfect synchronicity.

Malik smiled. 'Awww, how cute!' he thought. 'Now, how do I get rid of Bakura? The direct way I think.'

"_Ouch!_" Bakura exclaimed, waking up and moving to cover his abused shoulder.

"Be quiet! And hurry up, Marik's waiting outside," Malik hissed.

Bakura gave him a death glare but remained quiet and silently removed himself from under Ryou. Before he left, Bakura gave Ryou a quick peck on the cheek, Malik another death glare, and then left via the window.

Malik sighed. Maybe taking Ryou to that bar hadn't been a good idea. He hadn't expected this to happen. If Ryou and Bakura weren't together then Ryou would be miserable. But, if they were together, it would only be a matter of time until King Yami found out, and then there would be trouble.

Malik perched on the edge of the bed and looked down at Ryou. He looked so happy, Malik didn't want to be the one who ruined his happiness. Malik sighed. What was he to do?

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_review!_


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you everyone who has reviewed so far – I _really _appreciate it. _

_To redconvoy – you don't know how close you are to the truth._

_To everyone else – enjoy!

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_

**Chapter 5 – Plotting **

Two weeks later Ryou and Bakura's relationship was still going strong.

Every night Ryou and Malik would sneak out to the bar to visit their boyfriends. Every morning they would sneak back to the palace for a few hours sleep before waking up for breakfast.

Ryou's schedule was pretty relaxed and so he was able to sleep for most of the day. Malik, being Ryou's personal assistant, spent most of his time with Ryou, which meant that he also was able to sleep the day away.

Unfortunately Ryou was less use to doing this sort of thing, and it was beginning to show.

Nearly every night Ryou would meet with his brother Yami to have dinner. The bags under Ryou's eyes and his constant vacant expression had not gone unnoticed. Yami wanted to know what his brother was up to but Ryou always dodged the subject when it was brought up.

Yami put his feet up on the stool and lay back in his chair, sighing contently. The day was finally over and he could relax – or be as close to relaxing as he could when he had a mystery to solve. The mystery of what his brother did every night to make him so tired.

The best way to solve the mystery would be to have someone watch him. Maybe Malik could…

Yami dismissed that thought. Malik was probably encouraging Ryou to do…whatever it was he was doing.

Maybe he could have someone watch Ryou's room and then follow him if he was seen leaving. If he wasn't seen leaving then that meant that he either knew another way out or he and Malik were…

Yami shook his head violently. He was not going to think such a ridiculous thing; he was going to go back to the thought before that. Yes, who was he going to hire to follow Ryou?

Suddenly there was a knock at the door that effectively pulled Yami off his thought path. He growled quietly and called, "Come in!"

The door opened slightly and a pair of amethyst eyes peered inside apprehensively. "Am I disturbing you Your Majesty?"

Yami's irritation at being disturbed automatically disappeared when he saw that spiked tri-coloured hair and heard that sweet voice. "Oh, you're not disturbing anything. Please come in Yugi," he said, smiling happily.

Nervously, Yugi walked over and stood in front of Yami's chair. The king looked tired and when he was tired he had a tendency to snap at people. Yugi didn't want to be the one to set him off.

"Please take a chair Yugi," Yami said, noticing that Yugi was still standing.

Yugi sat down and relaxed when he saw Yami's smile. "I'm glad you're not upset that I disrupted your quiet time," he said, smiling again.

As a servant, Yugi wasn't supposed to talk to the king if it wasn't a matter to do with work. But Yugi was different. Yami enjoyed his company and they often discussed things together (in private, of course).

"Don't worry Yugi – I'm always glad to see you." Yugi's cheeks turned pink. Yami quickly switched topic. "Actually, I need your help with something."

"Really? What?" Yugi asked, perking up.

"Has Malik said anything about why he looks tired?" Yami asked.

"Not really. Apparently he sneaks out every night to visit someone. But that's just typical Malik behaviour – he does it all the time. The other servants have made a game of betting on how long they think each fling will last."

Well at least that eliminated one of Yami's fears. "Is that all he says?"

Yugi nodded. Yami sighed and leaned back in his chair. Dead end on asking Malik to help him.

"What's wrong?" Yugi asked, looking concerned.

"You mean apart from the fact that I just realized that it was a stupid idea to let Malik be in charge of looking after and setting a good example for my brother?" Yami replied, looking back at Yugi. "It's Ryou. He's up to something and I want to know what."

"So you think Ryou's trying to assassinate you?"

Yami laughed. "I highly doubt that Ryou would even dream of doing something like that."

"Maybe he would if he found out you were invading his privacy."

Yami stopped laughing. The voice of reason had a point. "I'm just worried about him. I don't think he knows what he's getting himself into. It must be bad if he won't even admit that there's something wrong. And before you ask, I hear that he's becoming nocturnal – don't tell me that that's not a problem."

"Why not ask Malik?"

"Because for some strange reason I think that this is actually all Malik's fault."

"Isn't it always?" Yugi said, smiling.

Yami nodded, also smiling. "Remind me to fire him someday."

They sat in silence for awhile, wondering how to restart the conversation. In the end it was Yugi who spoke first. "So…what are you going to do about Ryou?"

Yami sighed. "I was thinking of having someone follow him – to find out where he goes every night. Only question is: who do I choose?"

Yugi sat and pondered for a moment. "How about Jou?" he suggested.

Yami laughed. "Jou's not exactly the most silent and stealthy person I've ever met."

Yugi nodded. Knowing Jou he'd probably trip over something in the street and automatically alert Ryou that he was being followed. "What about Mokuba? He's quiet and inconspicuous."

Yami stared. "Are you crazy? For one: Kaiba would never forgive me if anything ever happened to his little brother. An angry Lord Kaiba equals assassination attempt."

"What's the other reason?" Yugi asked nervously.

"I think Ryou's gone somewhere where a ten year old would stick out like a sore thumb."

Yugi sighed and racked his brain for someone else who could do what the king desired. An idea suddenly popped into his head. "What about Honda?"

"Isn't he a member of the royal guard?" Yami asked thoughtfully. Yugi nodded.

Honda would be a good choice – silent, swift, inconspicuous when out of uniform…It was the best suggestion so far. "Is he trustworthy? Could he keep this a secret?" Yami asked, leaning forward slightly.

Yugi nodded. "He'd love to be able to serve you personally. Any soldier would."

Yami smiled – he'd made his choice. "It's getting late; I'll talk to Honda tomorrow."

Right on cue, Yugi yawned. "I think maybe I should head off to bed now," he said, rubbing at his eye with a balled fist.

Yami nodded. "Goodnight," he said as Yugi walked out the door.

Yami gave him a small smile. "Goodnight Your Majesty," he said before shutting the door.

When Yugi was gone, Yami swore quietly. "Damn it. We nearly had a whole conversation without him saying that more than once."

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Please Review! 


	6. Chapter 6

The last chapter was the first on I've ever actually uploaded on my own. It really surprised me when I saw the story at the top of the list and that the computer I used at blown up or got a virus or something. Stupid Vamp coming to France and leaving me without the instructions on how do upload. Good job I looked over her shoulder every time she uploaded the other chapters so that I had an idea what I was supposed to be doing.

Anyway, that's my rant for the day. Now to answer my reviewers' questions.

Main question was: why Honda? Answer is that I just thought I'd give him something to do. I wanted a random character that could just disappear when he gave his report to Yami. I could've sent Yugi but he'd of looked kind of out of place in a bar. He would've been told to leave and come back with an adult.

And now onto the next exciting instalment. Enjoy!

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**Chapter 6 – Snitch**

The next night, Honda patiently waited in the shadows outside Ryou's room. He was truly honoured that he had been chosen, and was now waiting for his mission to begin.

The door to the prince's room opened slowly and Malik's head appeared. He looked from left to right before going back into the room for a moment and then returning with a dark cloak on and another disguised figure. This, Honda reasoned, was the prince. They both set off down the corridor, going as quickly as they could without making a noise. Honda followed.

He followed them through the palace, through the secret exit, through the darkened streets, until finally they arrived at an inn. Both boys headed towards a table at the back of the club, while Honda stayed just far enough away not to be noticed but close enough to hear what was being said.

"Bakura!" Ryou cried as they neared the others, and flung his arms around his boyfriend.

Bakura grinned and pulled the boy's face closer for a kiss. Malik and Marik rolled their eyes. "You'd think they'd been separated for weeks not hours," Malik said, grinning.

"It's disgraceful."

"They should be ashamed; could've at least found a room."

"Want to make out?"

"Sure!"

Malik jumped onto his lap and Marik pulled him in closer to begin their tongue war.

"And they say we're the disgraceful ones," Bakura said quietly so that only Ryou could hear.

Ryou giggled and leant his head on Bakura's shoulder. Bakura smiled down at him and they began to talk.

Meanwhile, Honda was taking very careful mental notes. He now knew: where the prince went every night; why he went there; and how Malik was connected. He carefully studied the one Ryou had called Bakura's face. He was sure that he'd heard that name somewhere before but he couldn't remember where.

A few hours later, Bakura was starting to be really irritated by the two blondes at their table. If they weren't making a scene they were making sarcastic and infuriating comments. Ryou felt now would be a good time to leave, before Bakura decided to murder one (or both) of them.

Taking hold firmly of Bakura's hand, Ryou dragged him up the stairs to his room. When one of them became tired of the busy room downstairs they often went up to the room Bakura and Marik were renting. The room wasn't silent (you could still hear the noise from downstairs) but at least it was more peaceful and private.

As they reached the room Ryou let go of Bakura's hand so that he could unlock the door. After doing this Bakura froze, his hand still on the knob of the slightly opened door. A smirk formed on his lips as a delightful idea popped into his head.

Ryou began to get worried when Bakura didn't move. Why had he stopped? Was there someone in there? "Bakura, what's wrong?" he asked quietly.

Before Ryou knew what was happening Bakura had turned around and picked him up bridal-style. Ryou blushed and began to squirm. "Bakura put me down!" he squeaked.

Bakura ignored him and entered the room, closing the door with his foot behind him. He walked over to the bed and dropped Ryou onto it. He then went back and locked the door so that they wouldn't be disturbed.

Unbeknownst to them, someone was outside the room with his ear to the wall, listening carefully.

Bakura turned around slowly, a feral grin on his face. Ryou was starting to get nervous and edged backwards into a corner. Bakura advanced towards him, slowly building tension.

"Bakura what are you doing?" Ryou asked almost fearfully as Bakura crawled onto the bed.

Bakura used his body to block Ryou in, their faces only an inch apart. Bakura's grin was still present, he liked watching Ryou squirm. But all good things must come to an end.

Bakura moved closer so that his hot breath tickled Ryou's ear. "What am I doing little prince? I'm trying to freak you out."

"Bakura!" Ryou shouted angrily, his cheeks turning red.

Bakura laughed so hard that he fell backwards and had to clutch his sides to stop them from hurting. Ryou pouted as his lover continued to laugh. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head and Ryou did the closest thing he could to a smirk.

Before Bakura knew what was happening Ryou had jumped on top of him and was tickling his sides. This caused the thief beneath him to laugh and wriggle uncontrollably.

"Ryou…mercy...mercy," Bakura cried in-between his giggles, tears of laughter rolling down his cheeks.

Ryou decided that Bakura had had enough punishment for now and stopped tickling him. Bakura just lay there, gulping in some much need oxygen. Ryou stayed straddling his waist, his arms folded triumphantly over his chest.

When Bakura had calmed down he reached up and wiped the moisture from his face. "You are pure evil Ryou."

Said boy just smiled innocently and stuck out his tongue. Bakura muttered something that Ryou couldn't hear. He frowned and asked him to repeat it. Once again he couldn't hear what was said.

Ryou leaned down, but only realized his mistake when Bakura pulled him down by his shirt so that his ear was right next to Bakura's mouth. "What I said was: don't stick out your tongue unless you're going to use it."

Ryou squeaked as Bakura began to laugh at him again, encircling him with his arms to keep him close.

Once Bakura had stopped laughing he decided to initiate the running joke he had with Ryou. "That was fun. Want to have sex?"

"No!"

"Damn."

Ryou buried his head in Bakura's shoulder, trying to contain his giggles. Bakura smirked triumphantly and was just about to try and gain a kiss from Ryou when he realized too late that he was too close to the edge of the bed. They both rolled off, Bakura landing on top.

"Why do I always somehow end up underneath you?" Ryou asked, not amused that he had landed on the hard, cold floor.

Bakura just chuckled before lifting Ryou up and placing him back on the bed. He then lay down next to him, pulling the prince into a hug. Ryou sighed contently, nuzzling his face into Bakura's chest. Bakura also sighed as he breathed in the scent of Ryou's hair.

"Watermelon," Bakura said as he placed the smell.

"Cinnamon?" Ryou asked, inquiring about what he could smell now that his eyes were closed.

"Correct," Bakura answered sleepily, his eyes also closed.

After that they lay in silence, both content with just listening to the others slow breathing.

Outside, Honda decided that now was a good a time as any to leave. Tomorrow evening the king was in for a shock.

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	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

It was evening. Yami was sitting in his room tapping his fingers against the arm of his chair, impatiently waiting for Honda.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door. Yami jumped and jerked his head towards the door. "Come in," he called, agitation apparent in his voice.

The door opened and Honda walked in, quickly bowing and awaiting his orders.

"Sit down," Yami said, more harshly than he had intended. He couldn't help it – he was too nervous.

Honda seemed unaffected and took the seat in front of the king. Yami took a deep, calming breath before asking, "What have you learned of my brother's activities?"

Honda cleared his throat before he began his report. "Sire, as you requested, I followed the prince and have found where he goes every night and why he goes there."

Yami made a motion for him to continue. He couldn't take the suspense. He was so close to finding out what his brother was up to. He hoped that what the soldier would say would appease his brotherly overprotectivness.

"It seems that the prince is going to an inn called 'The Black Adder' along with his servant. There they meet two men who they spend the rest of the night with."

The king's eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean by that?" he raged. "Explain yourself!"

Honda unconsciously flinched backwards. "From what I observed both boys are in a relationship with these men. The prince spent the first half of the night merely talking. Later they retired to the man's room upstairs…"

Yami was motionless. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. This wasn't his brother, it couldn't be!

"Sire, I was unable to enter but I did listen at the door and what I heard confused me. At first it seemed that the prince was scared but then I heard laughing and the man calling for mercy in-between laughter. Then there was silence, then more laughter, then some sort of joke and a bump. I then think they fell asleep."

Yami was also confused. A million questions were running through his mind but one was the most dominant. "Did they seem to be in a sexual relationship?"

"No Sire, I did not see any evidence to suggest that they were."

Yami sighed in relief – at least that got rid of one of his worries. Honda coughed to regain the king's attention.

"Sire, last night I thought I recognized the men the prince met with. I looked through the wanted posters and found ones that matched their appearance. Not only that, I overheard their names and now I'm sure. They're famous bandits in a lower region of the country. I'm sure you've heard of the team 'Silver and Gold'."

Yami stood up so quickly that his chair fell over backwards. "Are you telling me that my brother has been spending the night alone with these criminals?" he asked icily.

"As far as I can tell," Honda replied, meek before the king's rage.

The king growled low in his throat. "Tell the captain of the guards to ready his men. Tonight 'Silver and Gold' will be in irons."

Honda stood, bowed, and left. Yami clenched his fist, thinking about the mess his brother had gotten himself into. Speaking of which…"I better go and have a word with him first."

Yami flung open the door and purposefully made his way towards the prince's room.

**

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**

Ryou was sitting at his desk, gazing absently into the mirror in front of him as he brushed his hair and hummed quietly. He couldn't wait to see Bakura; couldn't wait to be held in strong arms; couldn't wait to taste his delicious lips…

Without warning the door was flung open and Yami strode in. Ryou turned to his brother, smiling, until he saw the look that was on his brother's face and the smile quickly disappeared. Yami looked so angry.

"Good evening Yami," Ryou said quietly, bowing his head.

"Ryou I need to talk to you. You too Malik," he said, watching out of the corner of his eye as Malik tried to slip away unnoticed.

The servant sighed and went to stand at Ryou's side. Yami looked from one to the other, wondering how he should begin. "Ryou I know that you and Malik have been leaving the castle every night to go to a bar."

Malik had his gaze turned to the floor and Ryou was not meeting his brother's eyes.

"That in itself is enough to make me angry. You both broke the rule of not leaving the palace after dark without permission. I expect going to a bar was your idea Malik."

Malik nodded, still looking down at the floor.

"I can't believe that you would be so irresponsible! Rules are made for a reason you know! If someone had recognized Ryou and decided to kidnap him how would you have stopped them? What if someone had tried to take advantage of either of you?" Yami shouted, his rage getting the better of him.

"You're supposed to protect Ryou, not put him in danger! And you put him in the worst kind of danger – you left him alone with a criminal!"

That made Ryou and Malik both look up. "Criminal?" they questioned.

Yami nodded sternly. "I know about the men you went to that inn to meet. They're thieves from the lower regions called 'Silver and Gold'."

This was new to both boys. "Bakura can't be a criminal – he's too nice!" cried Ryou.

The king looked at his brother sternly. "They have been identified as criminals and therefore will be arrested and punished."

"No!" Ryou cried, looking imploringly at his brother. "Please, I love Bakura! Please don't hurt him!"

Yami was taken aback by this outburst. "You're being silly Ryou-"

"No! Bakura loves me and I love him!"

"Ryou he doesn't love you – he probably only said that to get close to you so that he could kidnap you."

"You're wrong!" Ryou screamed, standing up. "Bakura wasn't trying to trick me! He loves me just like you love Yugi!"

Yami was speechless and defenceless. It seemed as if he had just been slapped. Someone knew his secret. It was a secret because he wasn't supposed to love a servant; he was already engaged to Lady Anzu. He began to panic and did the first thing that popped into his head. He slapped Ryou.

Ryou fell to the floor, dazed. Malik stared at the king in shock. He'd never lost his temper before, especially not like this. Ryou looked up at his brother, his eyes full of tears. "Please don't hurt them," he begged.

The king looked down emotionlessly. "They are criminals and must be punished. I will show them no mercy."

Ryou cried out again and grabbed onto Yami's leg, begging him not to kill them. Yami just shook him off and started to walk towards the door. "I've already sent out soldiers, I can't stop them. You'll have a guard left at your door so don't try to leave." With that the door closed and he was gone.

Malik looked down at the prince sobbing on the floor. Inside Malik felt cold. He knew (like Ryou) that if Marik and Bakura were arrested it would probably only be a few days before they were executed.

Even if Marik was a criminal he still didn't want to loose him. Just like Ryou didn't want to loose Bakura.

Malik knelt down and pulled Ryou into a hug. The white haired boy gladly accepted the comfort being offered and buried his face in Malik's shoulder. They stayed like that for a long time, both trying to ease the pain of their shattering hearts.

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	8. Chapter 8

Sorry for leaving you with that angsty cliff-hanger last chapter but it was necessary!

Now listen up, there are only a few chapters left in this story so what I want to know is: which of my other fics would you like to read?

The list is as follows:

A Harry potter Yugioh crossover – set in the fourth year and one member of the Yugioh cast will take part in the Triwizard Tournament. Meanwhile Ryou and Bakura play matchmaker for everyone. MM, YY, SJ, maybe hinted Harry x Draco.

A gemshipping (Ryou x Thief Bakura) fic that's set at Christmas – after the yamis are sent to the afterlife Ryou gets lonely and makes a wish to find his true love. Moments later thief Bakura shows up.

A Bakushipping (Bakura x Ryou x thief Bakura) fic – AU AE Ryou's an angel, Bakura's a demon, Akefia (thief Bakura) is mortal. Akefia captures the other two when they come to earth and become his slaves. In time they find themselves attracted to each other.

Ryou x Bakura, Seto x Jou – AU AE Ryou is Seto's adopted brother. Bakura kidnaps Ryou and Seto blames Jou (Jou being the guard). They then set out to rescue someone who doesn't want to be rescued.

Please tell me in your reviews which one you'd like to read first. I'll probably post all of them but I don't want to be doing too much or it'll be very slow updates. Plus I don't want to be under pressure when exams are coming up.

Anyway, Enjoy!

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**Chapter 8**

Bakura yawned and stretched out on the bed. He opened one eye and looked towards the other bed in the room. Marik also looked like he was asleep.

Bakura sighed. He didn't want to get up – he was very comfortable at the moment – but they both had to get up if they wanted to meet Ryou and Malik. Bakura sighed again and let his eye fall shut. Five more minutes wouldn't hurt.

Suddenly the door crashed open and soldiers began to pour into the room. Bakura sat up but was pinned back down before he could move. The door slamming against the wall woke Marik up but he too had his wrists bound before he could move.

The commander stepped forward and declared, "Silver and Gold you are under arrest for theft, murder, and attempted kidnap."

Both thieves were pulled to their feet and turned to face the commander. "What do you mean 'attempted kidnap'! Who the hell did we try to kidnap!" shouted Bakura.

"Prince Ryou of-"

"Son of a bitch – I never tried to kidnap him!"

Bakura promptly received a blow to the head that made him feel dizzy. The commander glared at him and ordered both thieves to be quiet. He then turned on his heel and marched back to the palace, his men and prisoners following.

**

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**

The next morning Malik woke up and found himself lying in Ryou bed. Last night the prince had not stopped crying and Malik did not think it a good idea that he be left on his own.

Malik got up and decided to stretch his legs. He opened the door that led out into the hallway and was surprised to find that the exit was being blocked. "Jou, what are you doing?" he asked the blonde guard.

Jou jumped and turned to face Malik. "Hey, don't scare me like that!" Jou replied, showing that he had not been concentrating on his guarding duties.

Malik crossed his arms over his chest and glared slightly at Jou. "Jou, why are you blocking the exit?" he asked again.

Jou suddenly stood tall and straight and said, "My orders are to not let you or prince Ryou leave the room."

"What! Why not?"

"Because His Majesty doesn't want either of you visiting the new prisoners in Dungeon C." After saying this Jou slapped his hand over his mouth knowing he'd said too much.

Malik let out an agitated noise and slammed the door in Jou's face. When he turned round, though, he had a wide smirk on his face. He knew Jou would come through for him.

Malik ran back towards the bed and shook Ryou awake. Ryou moaned and sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. "What's up?" he asked.

Malik was still grinning. "I know where Bakura is," he replied, instantly getting Ryou's attention.

"You do? Where is he Malik? Can I go see him?" Ryou asked desperately, grabbing onto Malik's arm.

"Yes, I'll take you to him right now. But if you want to see him you'll have to help me manipulate the guards."

"What do you want me to do?" Ryou asked determinedly.

Malik smiled at his friend's determined face. "Do you remember how I told you how to make yourself cry?" A nod. "Well that's all you need to do. I'll nudge you when I need you to do it."

Both boys then stood up and headed for the exit, Malik grabbing something on the way. He knew exactly how to get passed Jou. Malik opened the door and, sure enough, Jou was still blocking them in.

"Jou, Ryou and I want to go for a walk so please move."

Jou shook his head. "Sorry. Orders are orders."

Malik put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a chocolate bar. He opened the top of it and wafted it under Jou's nose. "Jou, if you let us past I'll give you this bar and more," Malik said temptingly.

Jou looked tempted but shook his head. Malik sighed. "I should've known you wouldn't accept my bribe," Malik said sadly. "After all, you get two bars every week."

Jou frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"All the guards get two bars a week." Suddenly, a look of realization dawned on Malik's face. "Now I remember! Lord Kaiba said you shouldn't get your ration because 'it would be a waste to give good food to a mutt'."

A look of fury swept over Jou's face. "He said that did he? I'm going to give Lord Jackass a piece of my mind!" With that he stormed off muttering curses under his breath.

Malik pocketed the chocolate, smiling smugly. "Just as I planned."

Ryou just shook his head. "I guess having manipulating friends does have some benefits."

Malik pouted before his grin returned and he began to drag Ryou down towards the dungeons.

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Please Review and tell me which fic you would like to read next. 


	9. Chapter 9

Results for the next fic so far are:

4 for Harry Potter crossover

2 for Bakushipping

1 for Gemshipping

2 for AU AE BxR, SxJ

To note – the YGO/HP fic does include a Bakura Ryou pairing. I forgot to put it on the list of pairings because they're together at the beginning of the fic whereas everyone else isn't. Ops, my bad.

Now Enjoy!

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**Chapter 9**

"I'm hungry," Marik stated.

Bakura glared at the cell opposite his which contained his companion. Apart from the fact that he was also hungry, he was seriously annoyed that he was chained to the back wall by his wrists and ankles. True, he could still move about, but it was the feeling that he was being treated like a wild animal that enraged him.

"Bakura, my ass has gone numb," Marik complained again.

"Then get up and move about! Ra, what am I, your mother?" Bakura shouted angrily.

"Excuse me for trying to have a conversation," Marik returned bitterly.

"What conversation! All you were doing was complaining!"

"Wow, you can get really cranky if you haven't had your daily kiss from Ryou can't you?"

Bakura growled and started flinging curses at his partner in crime. Marik just closed his eyes – pushing Bakura's buttons was fun.

"Hey be quiet down there!" one of their guards shouted down at them.

Bakura directed a few more curses at Marik and at the guard before stopping to catch his breath. He was about to start up again when he heard a voice he recognized. Marik also recognized the voice and turned to stare at the entrance to the dungeon. Both listened intently, trying to hear what was being said by their lovers.

**

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**

Malik and Ryou confidently walked towards the guards at the entrance to C dungeon. There were two of them, both just standing there with spears in their hands. Thankfully for Ryou and Malik they both looked really stupid. They also looked pretty stunned when they saw Ryou.

"Your Highness what are you doing here?" one of them asked.

"I want to talk to the prisoners," Ryou replied in a calm, regal voice.

The guards looked at each other nervously. "I'm sorry Sire but nobody is to be allowed down there."

Malik was quick to take offence. "You dare deny his Majesty access!" he exclaimed indignantly.

The guards jumped slightly in shock. "We're only following orders-"

"And do those orders apply to royalty!"

The guards panicked slightly – Malik was scary when he was angry. "Well no but-"

"Then get out of the way!"

Ryou gently put a hand on Malik's arm, tears beginning to appear in his eyes. "Malik don't get angry – they're just doing their job. They don't realize what they're doing is putting my brother's life in danger," he said in a slightly chocked voice.

The guards' eyes instantly filled with sympathy and concern. "What do you mean?" one of them asked.

Malik put his arm around Ryou. "Someone is trying to assassinate the king," he said gravely. "Those two know who it is – we need to talk to them straight away."

Ryou's eyes had gotten quite big by now and he did look desperate. "Please let us in," he whispered.

The guards' hearts melted and they let the boys in. When the entrance door was shut Malik's look of concern disappeared. He held the keys to the cells in his hand, a wide smirk on his face. "Idiots – fell for it hook line and sinker."

Malik turned to his friend with a softer smile on his face. "Your acting was really good too Ryou."

Ryou sniffed tearfully. "But now I can't stop crying!" he wailed.

Malik nearly fell down the stairs.

**

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**

Marik and Bakura were starting to get really irritated now. They knew their lovers were up there but they couldn't hear a damn word that was being said! Malik seemed to be angry but they didn't know why.

Then there was silence.

It was dark in the dungeon – the only light was from the flickering torches. This annoyed Bakura because it was hard to see if anyone was coming down the entrance steps. Damn whoever made the entrance way dark!

Bakura took a deep breath to calm his frazzled nerves. He hated waiting, hated not knowing what was going on. He leaned his head back against the wall and closed his eyes, taking another deep breath.

Suddenly there was a clink and a creek at the front of the cell and then Bakura felt someone run into him. Or rather hug him.

He opened his eyes and looked down at the mane of white. There was only one person he knew (except for himself) that had white hair. "Ryou!" he cried joyfully.

Ryou looked up and (even in the dim lighting) Bakura could see that he was crying. "I'm sorry Bakura; this is all my fault."

Bakura blinked in surprise. "How is it your fault?" he asked gently.

Ryou sniffed and looked down. "Someone must've followed me to the inn – that's how they found you."

Bakura wrapped his arms around the boy, trying to comfort him. Unfortunately the sound of the chains clanking when he moved didn't help.

Ryou rested his head on Bakura's shoulder and looked at his neck. "They chained you up like an animal because of me." Ryou was quiet for a moment. "Why did you steal and kill people?" he asked sadly, albeit curiously.

Bakura bit his lip. "I was poor and unskilled. I started stealing food so that I could survive. When I was older I met Marik and we decided that together we could steal things more valuable than simple bread.

"As a rule we only stole from those who wouldn't miss what we took. Those we murdered were guards in combat. If we hadn't killed them they would've killed us. I did what I had to to survive.

"I was young when I started thieving – my family needed the food. I found I was good at something and decided to stick with it. What I've done might be wrong but it was necessary and I don't regret it…because it brought me to you."

Bakura lifted Ryou's head up slowly and pressed a kiss to his lips. "Forgive me?" he asked quietly.

Ryou smiled and nodded. "Always," he replied in the same quiet tone, and then leaned in for a proper kiss.

"Ryou!"

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Yes, evil cliff-hanger ending. Who has found Ryou? Find out next time.

Please Review and choose the next fic!


	10. Chapter 10

Results for next fic:

YGO/Hp 6

SJ, BR 3

Bakushipping 2

Gemshipping 1

Looks like we have a winner. There's still time to change the outcome though.

Over 50 reviews. You don't know how loved I feel. Anyway as I've told you before this is the last chapter and next is the epilogue.

Now Enjoy!

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**Chapter 10**

Ryou and Bakura jerked round to see who was shouting. They had been so focused on each other that they hadn't seen or heard the person come down the dark steps.

King Yami stared at his brother. "What in hell's name are you doing down here!"

Ryou didn't answer; he was still stunned by his brother's sudden appearance.

"I can't believe this! I told you to stay in your room but do you listen? I told you that he was a thief and a murderer but you still disobey my orders and come down here! I can't believe you'd be so foolish! He's just using you!"

"No he's not!" Ryou shouted back. "He loves me and cares for me; which is more than you do!" Yami looked taken aback by this. "You're not treating me like a brother; you're treating me like a little kid! Did you ever consider my feelings about all of this? Bakura loves me and would never hurt me!"

Yami shook his head. "You don't know what you're talking about Ryou. He's just acting like he cares when he doesn't. It may seem like I don't care but I know what's best for you and sometimes you have to be unkind to protect the people you care for."

Ryou was about to reply to this when Bakura put a hand over his wrist. "It's no use – he won't change his opinion of me. He's too blind to see the truth or look for goodness and reason in someone who's a 'criminal'".

"I am not blind!" Yami shouted indignantly.

Bakura turned to him, malice in his eyes. "Do you mind? Ryou and I are talking."

Yami made an indignant and offended noise but stayed silent.

Bakura turned back to Ryou and continued. "Like I was saying; he's not going to change his opinion of me just like that. It'll be a real blow dying like this instead of putting up a fight first but I'll deal with it.

"But promise me one thing Ryou: don't be too depressed. I don't want to meet you in the afterlife for at least fifty years. I want you to be happy even though I'm gone. Don't let me be the one who ruined your life. I love you and I'll never stop loving you. So be happy or I'll come back and haunt you."

Ryou, tears in his eyes, buried his face in the crook of Bakura's neck. "I promise I'll try to be happy…for you."

Bakura rubbed the boy's back and whispered soothing words. Yami watched all of this quietly. The thief was either an excellent actor or he really did care about Ryou.

Bakura looked up and met Yami's eyes. The thief was trying to put on a brave face for Ryou but in his eyes the king could see fear, worry, and most of all sadness.

"And you – you better start giving him some freedom and let him make his own decisions about who he wants to associate with or I'll come back and haunt you too. Only this time I'll be a vengeful spirit," Bakura said coldly.

Yami bit his lip and looked away. He was having conflicting thoughts about this. "Ryou's betrothed you know. It might be considered kinder to have the one you like gone from your life so that you're not always comparing this life to the one you could have had." Yami deliberately hadn't said 'love'.

Ryou looked up from Bakura's shoulder and asked tearfully, "Then why do you still keep Yugi around?"

Yami froze and turned, horrified, to look at his brother, stuttering wildly. "That's different," he was finally able to get out.

"Why? You're also betrothed and royalty isn't supposed to fall in love with the servants as much as they're not supposed to fall in love peasants. So why is it different?" Ryou asked, his tears starting to dry.

"B-b-because he's a criminal!" Yami stuttered, his face a lovely shade of red.

Ryou rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand and fixed his brother with the best glare he could muster. "If I can't be with Bakura then you can't be with Yugi." He then emphasized his statement by crossing his arms in a manner that said 'and that's final'.

Yami agitatedly ran his hand through his hair. "But what about our betrothals? The people wouldn't be happy if we married commoners," in a lower voice he added, "of the same gender."

Bakura smirked. "Why not get married and do all the courtly stuff with your wife but then do all the romance stuff with your boy toy in secret."

Ryou playfully hit his shoulder. Yami shook his head. "You've never met Lady Anzu – she would never let me have an affair with someone."

"Then dump the bitch and marry the one betrothed to Ryou. From what I've heard she'd be kept amused with picking out new outfits that she wants and would think your secret love affair was cool and kinky."

Yami stopped and thought. That didn't actually sound like a bad idea. Mai wouldn't be fussed that he didn't actually love her and Ryou didn't actually need to marry anyone. "That's a good idea but I can't just let you get off scot-free, thief. You still should be punished for your crimes."

Ryou quickly interjected. "He could do community service and I could be in-charge of supervising him."

Yami nodded. This was also a good idea and one that would suit everyone. He sighed the said, "I guess I've got no choice."

"Damn straight!"

Bakura promptly received an elbowing from Ryou and a whispered, "Don't make him mad or he'll change his mind."

Yami walked through the open cell door and handed a set of keys to Ryou so that he could unchain Bakura. When this was done all three were about to leave when they were stopped by Marik shouting, "Aren't you forgetting something!"

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None of you really expected me to kill Bakura did you? I would never do something like that to poor Bakura-chan unless it was _really _necessary to the plot. Plus, if he'd died that would've made Ryou-chan unhappy and he doesn't deserve to be unhappy.

Now all you have to look forward to is Yami's wedding and the after party.

Please Review!


	11. Chapter 11

The fic has finally reached the end. I know I keep repeating this but I can't believe it. My first story posted has been so successful and now I know that my friends aren't just saying I'm a good writer because that's what friends are there to say.

Another great thing has been that I really seem to have worried everyone when I said Bakura and Marik would be executed. When you get reviews saying **DO NOT KILL THEM! **Or something along those lines it lets you know how much people really have gotten into the story.

Sorry Yamiace1321 but no lemons in this story. If I did that I'd have to make it M and this is strictly T. The ending is kind of limey but I'm not entirely sure where the line between kissing and lime is so it might not be. If all goes according to plan there should be a lemon in my next story though.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings. I'll let you get onto read the last chapter.

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**Epilogue**

"Oh Bakura you look wonderful," Ryou said happily, clasping his hands together and admiring his work.

Bakura growled and tugged at the stiff collar of his formal shirt. "Ryou I can hardly move in this damn thing. Can't I wear something else?"

"You don't need to move about so no," Ryou replied firmly.

Bakura glared down at his formal attire and grumbled, "I don't see why I have to go to Yami's stupid wedding."

"Consider it another part of your punishment," Ryou said, wearing an overly sweet smile.

Bakura growled again.

It had now been a year since the time Bakura and Marik had been thrown in prison. After much persuasion from Malik, Ryou and Bakura, Yami had finally confessed his feelings to Yugi and the young servant had happily returned these feelings.

Lady Anzu had wept buckets when she found out that she was no longer going to be queen. Lady Mai had been positively delighted to find out that she would be instead and (like Bakura had predicted) merely shrugged and said, "As long as I get all expenses paid shopping trips and can sleep with other men then I'm all for your kinky little plan."

During all of this Marik and Bakura had been sentenced to doing community service for an extended period of time and were to remain with their keepers at all times – their keepers being Malik and Ryou.

Because of this Malik had been given his own room to share with Marik. Bakura – after much protesting from Yami – was allowed to sleep in Ryou's room and to share his bed.

Bakura and Marik hated having to do 'community service' but at least it was better than being dead.

When Ryou and Bakura arrived at the large hall where the wedding was taking place they quickly moved to the front and took their seats. Ryou was sitting in-between Bakura and Malik, who was sitting next to Marik, and Bakura had Yugi on his other side. Yami was already standing by the alter looking calm and dignified.

The opening music started to play and _most_ peoplefell silent.

"How come he looks so calm? He's getting married for Ra's sake! Shouldn't he be nervous – even if this is a sham marriage?"

"Gods, he must be uncomfortable in that get up!"

"How long is this stupid ceremony going to last?"

"Hey, is Lord Kaiba flirting with Jou?"

"I think it's the other way round."

"Well what better place to get matched up than at a wedding?"

"Or to have sex."

Ryou and Yugi both shushed them at the same time then turned back to the ceremony, smiling merrily. Bakura, Malik and Marik all sighed and started counting down the minutes to the after party.

* * *

Ryou fell back onto his bed and closed his eyes, letting memories of the beautiful wedding and the hilarious after party replay in his mind's eye. Nearly everyone had gotten drunk that night.

Malik and Marik had decided to play matchmaker and had pushed Lord Kaiba on top of Jou along with doing other clichéd tricks. Needless to say their plan worked.

Yami was so drunk that he jumped onto a chair and started singing 'twinkle twinkle little star' at the top of his voice. Then he and Bakura did a duet of 'Ba Ba black sheep'.

Ryou felt the bed dip and turned to see that Bakura was lying next to him. They both smiled lovingly at each other.

"What are you thinking about angel?" Bakura asked, staring dreamily at Ryou.

"Nothing love," Ryou answered, looking at Bakura in the same way.

Bakura pulled Ryou into his arms. The prince snuggled into the thief's chest and let his eyes close.

"Oh no you don't," Bakura said, slightly annoyed. "You can't fall asleep without giving me my goodnight kiss."

Ryou gave a small moan of protest but managed to open his eyes and give Bakura a quick peck on the cheek. When he tried to move away Bakura pulled him forward into a passionate kiss that involved much use of the tongue.

When they finally pulled apart for air Ryou gave Bakura his best glare. The thief chuckled.

"What? You didn't expect me to let you get away without doing it properly did you?" Bakura said in a mocking tone. Ryou pouted and turned away. "Don't get upset Ryou," Bakura said in a soothing voice. "You know I was only teasing."

When Bakura received no response he tickled the boy until he gave in. He then proceeded to give Ryou his version of the puppy dog pout. This made Ryou laugh until he decided to forgive Bakura.

Bakura smirked and once again captured Ryou's lips. Ryou was more willing this time and wrapped his arms around Bakura's neck. The thief removed his arms and pinned them at either side of his head. He then left Ryou's mouth and moved down to attack the prince's throat.

Ryou moaned softly as Bakura's tongue lapped at his milky skin. He closed his eyes as Bakura kissed from his jaw line down to the opening in his shirt. Bakura frowned when he reached the soft cotton and quickly removed it. He then proceeded to place random kisses all over Ryou's chest.

Ryou gasped as Bakura's lips landed around one of his nipples. A rough tongue left the thief's mouth and ran itself over the sensitive nub. Ryou let out a deep moan, lifting himself slightly to gain more contact.

Bakura smirked again and raised himself to look down at his beautiful prince. A blush tainted Ryou's pale cheeks as he opened his eyes and saw Bakura's lecherous gaze. He suddenly felt the need to cover himself but that disappeared when Bakura swooped in and captured his mouth.

Bakura ran his hands up and down Ryou's sides, taking in the contours of his perfect body. He stopped at Ryou's waist and headed for his belt. He had almost finished removing it when a soft hand came to rest upon his. Bakura broke the kiss and looked into Ryou's eyes.

"Not tonight," Ryou said in a quiet, breathless voice.

"Why not?" Bakura asked. "I've waited a year for you. Have I not proved my love? Have I not proved that I am worthy?" Anger was now seeping into Bakura's voice. How could Ryou not trust him? Why should he be denied the pleasure that a faithful lover deserved?

Ryou smiled softly, staying calm. "You have proved your love Bakura and I do trust you. It's just that we're getting up early and spending the day with my brother tomorrow. Do you really want him to know that we're having sex when he sees me limping?"

Bakura thought about this. "That is a good point. He'd have me hanged for hurting you wouldn't he?"

Ryou nodded. "That's why you have to wait." He reached up and cupped Bakura's cheek. "I'd trust you with my life Bakura, don't ever forget that. Just because I want you to wait doesn't mean that I don't love or trust you. It just means that we need to find the perfect moment. And now isn't the perfect moment."

Bakura nodded. "I'm sorry I got mad."

Ryou pulled Bakura's face towards his and their lips met. Bakura fiddled with the buttons on his shirt and finally managed to get it off. Their lips stayed locked until they became breathless. Bakura pulled away and laid his head on Ryou's chest. Ryou's fingers ran through his hair in a comforting manner.

They then lay there together, enjoying the peaceful silence and the comfort that came from being close to each other, until they both fell into blissful unconsciousness…

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Did Everyone like the ending? Please Review and tell me.

Oh, and look out for my next fic: The Fivewizard Tournament. That's the Harry Potter one :)


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